Kids in China are trying every trick in the book to beat the facial recognition software that puts a mandatory time limit on popular video games

Chinese video game publisher Tencent said young players are using photos of sleeping relatives to try to circumvent the company's new age verification process.

source

Tencent

Chinese video game publisher Tencent recently implemented facial
recognition software to verify the ages of the people playing its
games in China.

The software uses a government database to verify a player's
identity. Players are under the age of 18 are limited to playing
two hours a day, while those under the age of 12 are limited to
one hour a day.

Tencent reports that since the facial recognition process was
implemented, underage users have tried multiple ways to beat the
system, including using pictures of sleeping relatives and
impersonating their grandparents while on the phone with customer
service.

Young gamers in China are using just about every trick in the
book to try to circumvent new age restrictions on China's most
popular games.

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The country's biggest video game publisher, Tencent, recently started using facial
recognition software to verify player identities and limit
playtime for those under the age of 18. Tencent's age
verification process uses an official government database to
confirm player identities with their photo and personal
information. Players are under the age of 18 are limited to
playing just two hours a day, while those under the age of 12 are
limited to one hour a day.

Tencent uses artificial intelligence and data collection to
monitor player behavior, and the company claims it will
eventually be able to detect when an underage user is playing
using an adult's information.

After officially implementing the facial recognition software for
its most popular game, "Honour of Kings," the company reported
that about half of the accounts linked to underage players have
successfully completed the process.

Of the accounts that didn't complete the process, 98% failed or
declined the facial recognition test. Those who fail to complete
the facial recognition are automatically limited to just one hour
of play.

Tencent reported that young
players have been using a number of methods to try to get around
the verification process. Some attempted to use photos of
sleeping relatives, while others tried to impersonate their
grandparents while talking to Tencent's customer service. The
company said that some kids had even convinced their parents or
other adults they know into calling customer service to try to
remove the age-based time limit.

In a statement following the rollout of the facial recognition
software, Tencent said that attempts to circumvent the system
made it more determined to successfully implement the technology.
The company has previously said it intends to add age
restrictions to its 10 most popular games.

source

Reuters

Tencent's age restrictions preempt Chinese video game regulations

With about one-fifth of the world's total population, China is
the largest video game market on the planet. Despite heavy
regulations on media and online content in the country, Chinese
gamers spent more than $34 billion on video games in the past
year, according to New Zoo.

As China's largest publisher, Tencent has borne the brunt of the
freeze. Tencent's share price has dropped nearly 30% since the
year began, and the company has lost about $200 billion of
its overall value. Analysts have viewed the Tencent's decision to
implement age restrictions for its most popular games as a form
of cooperation with Chinese regulators.

China is slowly reconstructing its process for approving new
games, but Tencent's age verification process could mark a
turning point for the the country's growing interest in video
games.